This document discusses the DCAT-AP (Data Catalogue Application Profile), which is a specification based on the Data Catalogue vocabulary (DCAT) for describing public sector datasets in Europe. It aims to support use cases like enabling cross-data portal searches and making public sector data better searchable across borders and sectors. The DCAT-AP defines core, recommended, and optional fields for metadata and is part of the European Commission's ISA program to improve semantic interoperability of European eGovernment systems. It does not describe how actual data transfer between portals should occur. The document encourages involvement in the ongoing public review of the DCAT-AP specification.

1. Donau-Universität Krems.
Die Universität für Weiterbildung.
DCAT-Application Profile

2. Donau-Universität Krems. Die Universität für Weiterbildung. May | 2013 | Seite 2
www.donau-uni.ac.at

3. Donau-Universität Krems. Die Universität für Weiterbildung. May | 2013 | Seite 3
www.donau-uni.ac.at
DCAT
• Is an RDF vocabulary designed to facilitate interoperability
between data catalogs published on the Web.
• Should increase discoverability and enable applications easily to
consume metadata from multiple catalogs.
• http://www.w3.org/TR/vocab-dcat/
• W3C Working Draft since 12 March 2013

4. Donau-Universität Krems. Die Universität für Weiterbildung. May | 2013 | Seite 4
www.donau-uni.ac.at
Open Data for Application Providers / DCAT-AP
• http://joinup.ec.europa.eu/asset/dcat_application_profile/description
• Is a specification based on the Data Catalogue vocabulary
(DCAT) for describing public sector datasets in Europe
• Describes Core Fields, Recommended and Optional fields of an
Open (Government) Data Portal
• Target is to support use-cases such as
– To enable a cross-data portal search for data sets
– To Make public sector data better searchable across borders and sectors
– By the exchange of descriptions of data sets among data portals.

5. Donau-Universität Krems. Die Universität für Weiterbildung. May | 2013 | Seite 5
www.donau-uni.ac.at
DCAT-AP
EXPLORE
FIND
IDENTIFY
SELECT
OBTAIN
Public admi nistrations
Busi nesses
St andar disationbodi es
Academia
Data Portal
Data Portal
Data Portal
Data Portal
Data Portal
Data Portal
Metadata
Broker
Data
Consumers

6. Donau-Universität Krems. Die Universität für Weiterbildung. May | 2013 | Seite 6
www.donau-uni.ac.at
DCAT-AP Key facts
• Part of Action 1.1 – “Improving semantic interoperability in
European eGovernment systems of the European Commission’s
Interoperability for European Public Administrations (ISA)
programme”
• Multi-lingual
– Descriptions
– Links
– Data-sets
• Common term definitions by linking to EUROVOC
• Subscription and Recommendation functionality
• Should provide easy access to the maintainers of datasets to
inform about errors, mistakes, …

7. Donau-Universität Krems. Die Universität für Weiterbildung. May | 2013 | Seite 7
www.donau-uni.ac.at
What DCAT-AP is NOT
• Does not describe how actual data-transfer between data portals
and a metadata broker should happen
• No CMS System. Eg. The implementation of multi-lingualism is left
to the respect system

9. Donau-Universität Krems. Die Universität für Weiterbildung. May | 2013 | Seite 9
www.donau-uni.ac.at
Mapping of Data Categories using EUROVOC
http://eurovoc.europa.eu/drupal/

10. Donau-Universität Krems. Die Universität für Weiterbildung. May | 2013 | Seite 10
www.donau-uni.ac.at
Is your (Meta-)Data Portal compatible with
DCAT-AP?
Check mandatory fields of dcat:Dataset and dcat:Distribution
Dataset Distribution
Description access URL
Publisher license
Title byteSize (Optional)
contact point (Recommended) Description (Optional)
dataset distribution (Recommended) download URL (Optional)
theme/ category (Recommended) Format (Optional)
release date (Optional)
Title (Optional)
Update / modification date (Optional)
media type (Optional)

11. Donau-Universität Krems. Die Universität für Weiterbildung. May | 2013 | Seite 11
www.donau-uni.ac.at
DCAT-AP – Your involvement NOW!
• Final draft is open for public review until
10 June 2013
• Send your comments to
dcat_application_profile@joinup.ec.europa.eu
or use the issue tracker
https://joinup.ec.europa.eu/asset/dcat_application_profile/issue/all

12. Donau-Universität Krems.
Die Universität für Weiterbildung.
http://www.slideshare.net/jhoechtl/dcatapplication-profile-for-data-providers
http://www.slideshare.net/jhoechtl/
https://www.facebook.com/myprivate42
http://at.linkedin.com/in/johannhoechtl/